July 3rd Trivia

1844 – Great auks go extinct as the last pair was killed.

1890 – Idaho is admitted as the 43rd U.S. state.

1938 – World speed record for a steam locomotive is set in England, by the Mallard, which reaches a speed of 125.88 miles per hour (202.58 km/h).
1938 – United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lights the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.

1944 – Minsk is liberated from Nazi control by Soviet troops during Operation Bagration.